Feminine Wiles
by HippieHebe
Summary: Buck fic. Having one sister is bad enough for any guy, but six? How does a guy handle that? Response to a Sister Fic Challenge. ONESHOT.


Disclaimer: I do not own Buck.

Author's Note: This was a response to a Sister Fic Challenge set by xolilkelox1 - "Write a realistic non-canon sister fic. There are no rules basically it could be an opening chapter to a story or a one-shot." So here's my attempt.

xXx

Late July, 1961

I hate goin' up to the country, but shit I gotta go up there to an' get my bills. It's not that I don't trust the mail and bills to be delivered to the roadhouse, it's just that I don't trust the folks who come 'round and go poking' through my shit. That 'an if I don't go up there and pay Ma visit, you can bet she'll call up and start gripin', 'bout how the old man wants more kids, cuz he only has three sons but nine kids, and they ain't gotta enough money to feed another mouth. Guess who gives them money to feed the mouths? That's right. Me. So I fix a few races and do a little bootlegging on the side.

The drive out onto the highway is always a nightmare, because there's always traffic no matter what time of day and there's always someone getting pulled over by the fuzz. After I hit the main highway, out of Tulsa, it was easy drivin' from then on. I roll down the window and let the wind whip into the truck, and push down my Stetson to prevent it from flyin' off my head.

Other ranches, houses and farms come into view as I get closer to home. I always pass McCormick's place on the way there, and say I'll visit him but never get 'round to it. He has two kids and a dead wife. I thought he had it all durin' high school, hell lookin' at him now, I didn't think so.

I reach the ranch 'round eleven, and hadn't even got to the porch yet before the door slung open and the girls came pouring out like ants.

Sue Ellen, Patty, Roxanne, Claudette, Bo, and Debbie - I don't know how I remember which one was which, because they all look the same. Blonde, thin, bucktoothed and freckled. Bo and Debbie, who were six and five latch their arms around my legs, while the rest attacked my torso.

"Buck, I wanna piggyback ride!"

"Not now, Claudette," I reply, trying to pry hands of my neck.

"Mama's mad at you," Sue Ellen says, with her hands on her hips

"She's always mad."

"Be quiet, Patty!"

"No, you be quiet!"

"I'm telling!"

"I don't care!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

The voices fly from all directions, along with Bo and Debbie's whining, reminding me why I rarely visit. Only a minute had passed and I already want God to strike me deaf.

"Will all of you hush!" I look up to see my Ma standing by the door, one of the twins on her hip, and looking like she hasn't slept in a long time - but she always looks like that so I don't pay much mind.

I raise my Stetson and say "Howdy Ma-"

"Don't you 'Howdy Ma' me," she snaps. "Where have you been? We're runnin' outta money here, your sisters are starving', and you're livin' it up with those city folk."

"Don't Pop have a job?" I ask, walking up the steps toward her.

"He got let go, again."

"He home?"

"No. Here hold Tommy," Ma shoves the one year old in my arms, and walks into the house. "He's gone out drinkin'."

"It's eleven in the mornin'." I frown.

"He's been out since last night," she replies and picks up Freddie as Tommy pulls at my hat. A scream echoes through the house, and the girls run in one after each other, laughing and tripping over their own feet - which look like they've grown and are now to big for their shoes. Holes poke outta some, and others are clearly hand-me-downs. I sigh.

"Will you girls keep it down!" Ma yells at them, and the older ones quieten down, but the rest keep on squealing. "Buck, make yourself useful an' take 'em out for an hour or two-"

"But, Ma-"

"I need to put the twins down for a nap and make supper," she says. "I can't do it with them all worked up."

"Fine," I drawl. The girls cheer and jump on top of me as I stagger outside. They jump up and down, each taking turns for piggyback rides. This goes on for another half hour along with a lot of

"No Debbie, don't touch it, that bird ain't takin' a nap."

"Roxanne, that's poisonous!"

"Claudette, did you fall down again?"

Eventually we reach a river and the girls temporarily ignore me, much to my relief. I sit down in the long grass and watch them throw rocks into the water or try and catch fish with their bare hands. Taking of my Stetson I run a hand through my hair and put it back on.

"Hey, Sue Ellen," I call. "C'mere for a second."

"What?" She asks.

"How come you're wearin' my old shoes?"

"Papa drinks always the money," she replies. I curse, just as Patty walks up to us. She has a mischievous grin on her face, which is never good.

"Sue Ellen has a boyfriend," she says, in a sing-song voice.

"Do not," Sue Ellen snaps, her face a deep red. I narrow my eyes and open my mouth just as a scream echoes through grass, followed by a splash. Boltin' up, I run to the river.

"What happened?" I yell, frantically lookin' 'round, I notice Debbie missin'.

"Bo pushed Debbie," Roxanne answers. Without thinking' twice I jump into the river. The water is ice cold, I gasp, letting out a cloud of silver bubbles in front of my face. Waving them aside I focus until I see Debbie little body sinking. Pushing myself forward, I dive downward and grab her as soon as I can. With her in my arms, I swim back to the surface. My heart is pounding violently as I make my way to the bank.

"Debbie?" I say, and relief washes over me when I hear her cough. She blinks for several moments, her lashes spiked, and then bursts into tears.

"I think it's time to go home," I say, and for once the others don't make a sound. Before I pick Debbie up I reach toward the murky water and grab my hat.

xXx

As soon as Ma finds out what happened back at the river, she slaps me hard, then promptly brings over a towel to dry off and one of Pop's shirts. I give her a wad of money, which she takes without a thought, and I tell them I'm off as soon as the twins start cryin'. Ain't no way I'm stickin' around any longer, and although I'll probably go to hell for leavin' my Ma like that, but I'll pay for it when I'm dead.

As I'm driving the highway back into Tulsa a thought suddenly strikes me. Fuck, I forgot to get the bills. I deliberate going back for a second, then decide not having hot water or electricity is better than having to face my sisters again.

Fini.


End file.
